One-shot valve assembly for aerosol container



April 29, 1969 R. E. TREHARNE, JR 3,441,177

ONE-SHOT VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR AEROSOL CONTAINER Filed Jan. 30, 1967 United States Patent N.H., assignor to Conn., a

4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved valve assembly is provided for aerosol containers to discharge the entire contents at once. A spring-held valve head and other features of a fast-pressure-fill type valve are retained in combination with a rupturable diaphragm in the valve housing.

This invention relates to a one-shot valve assembly for an aerosol container intended for use as fire extinguisher, for disinfection or for any use where it is essential to discharge the entire contents of a container without interruption.

Containers have been proposed for this purpose having a housing with a rupturable .diaphragm and a hollow stem which can be operated to puncture the diaphragm and discharge the contents through the hollow stem.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved assembly which will discharge a container Without interruption, which will also permit rapid pressure-filling after the valve assembly has been attached to the container. It is preferred to utilize the same fast-fill principle as disclosed in the patent to Briechle 3,158,298. This requires a sealing washer which must move downwardly with the valve into the valve housing to permit rapid flow over the top of the washer and into the container through passages between the outer wall of the valve housing and the mounting cup, and of course, a spring acting on the valve to force the washer back into sealing relation with the mounting cup.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the spring may automatically drop away when the diaphragm is ruptured to prevent the valve from being forced back into sealing relation. In other embodiments, the spring is retained but the valve head and/or stem are changed to permit continuous flow.

Another object is to produce a one-shot valve assembly of the kind above referred to which will embody only such changes in a standard commercial aerosol valve as to permit of its manufacture by substantially the same production machines.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown three embodiments which the invention may assume in practice. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through my improved valve assembly showing the sealed portion;

FIG. 2 is a similar view after rupture of the diaphragm to discharge the container contents;

FIG. 3 indicates the position of the parts during pressure filling of the container;

FIG. 4 is a central section showing an assembly of modified construction; and

FIG. 5 shows another form of valve head and stem for use in the assembly of FIG. 4.

Although the valve assembly may be useful for various kinds of pressure fluid containers, I have herein indicated a mounting cup 6 which can be attached to the rolled bead of an aerosol can.

3,441,177 Patented Apr. 29, 1969 "ice This mounting cup has a pedestal portion 7 with a top Wall 8 having a central aperture 9. A valve housing 10 may be molded from suitable plastic material and is secured to the mounting cup 6 directly under the top wall 8 by means of indentations 11 engaging under the shoulder 12 of the housing wall. A sealing washer 13 of suitable elastomeric material has a central hole 14 which snugly embraces the hollow stem 15 of the valve itself. In pressure filling as indicated in FIG. 3, the washer 13 and valve head 16 move downwardly against the force of a spring 17 to allow flow over the top of the washer 13 and through passages 18 over the top and around the sides of the valve housing. The valve may be of the type having a head with a seal rim 19 adapted to bear against the washer 13 and having one or more lateral openings 20 through the wall of the stem. These openings may be either above or below the top edge of the seal rim 19.

The bottom Wall 21 has a rupturable diaphragm 22 surrounded by a circular groove 23 which weakens the wall 21 in a circular area so that it will break under downward pressure. The diaphragm 22 may be large enough in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 to support the spring 17, in which case, it must be strong enough to withstand the spring pressure during filling as shown in FIG. 3. It may be ruptured by further force applied to the valve stem 15 either by direct action of the spring, but preferably by a depending plug 24 on the valve member.

After rupture, as seen in FIG. 2, the spring 17 and the diaphragm 22 will fall away into the can so as not to obstruct free flow of the contents through the space 25 between the valve head 16 and the housing 10, around the seal rim 19 and through the stem opening 20 to discharge continuously from the end of the stem 15. If desired, of course, any kind of suitable nozzle may be attached to the stem.

During pressure filling, as best seen in FIG. 3, the washer 13 has only a limited downward movement after which it is stopped by an internal shoulder 26. This movement will not be enough to rupture the bottom section 21.

In FIG. 4, the bottom wall 27 of the valve housing 10 may have a dip tube connection 28, and in this case, the rupturable diaphragm 29 is considerably smaller than that shown in FIG. 1. The proturbance 30 on the valve member may have a somewhat sharper end 31 to break away the diaphragm 29. In this case, the spring does not drop away but after the bottom seal is broken, continuous fiow is permitted through vertical passages 32 in the valve head and lateral openings 33 of the valve stem.

In FIG. 5, the valve member is modified so that after rupture, continuous flow takes place straight through the vertical passage 34 in the valve head leading directly to the hollow valve stem. Otherwise, the assembly may be the same as FIG. 4.

In each of the embodiments, it will be observed that only such changes have been made in the valve head and housing of a standard commercial aerosol valve shown in the above-mentioned Briechle patent, as will permit manufacture by simple changes in the molds which make the valve member and housing. The parts may be assembled by the same machinery and the finished container is adapted for fast pressure filling.

The assembly shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is intended for use primarily where the container is in an inverted position whereas FIGS. 4 and 5 may be equipped with a dip tube for operation in an upright position.

What I claim is:

1. A one-shot valve asembly for aerosol containers and the like comprising:

(a) a mounting cup including a hollow central pedestal portion with a top wall having a central aperture;

(b) a valve housing secured in said pedestal portion directly under said top wall;

(c) an elastomeric sealing washer having a hole in alignment with said central aperture and normally seated against the inner surface of said top wall, said washer being movable downwardly relative to said top wall and said valve housing, said housing having means for limiting such downward movement;

(d) a valve member having a head normally seated against the bottom surface of said Washer, a hollow stem projecting upwardly from said head through said hole in the sealing washer and through said aperture in the mounting cup top wall, the gasket having a fluid tight contact with said stem while said central aperture is larger than said stem;

(e) passageway means between said valve housing and mounting cup to permit fast pressure filling through said central aperture and over the top of said sealing washer;

(f) a spring normally held in said housing and acting on said valve head to hold it in sealing relation with said washer;

(-g) said housing having a bottom section in the form of a rupturable diaphragm;

(h) means for rupturing said diaphragm when downward force is applied to impart a predetermined movement to said valve member, while permitting the limited movement required in pressure filling without diaphragm rupture; and

(i) means for conducting pressure fluid uninterruptedly after diaphragm rupture and after release of downward force on said valve stem, through said valve 4 housing and into said hollow stem to discharge from the outer end thereof.

2. A one-shot valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said rupturable diaphragm is larger in transverse section than the spring, and wherein the spring nromally rests on such diaphragm in the sealed condition whereby the spring and diaphragm after rupture may fall away from the housing into the container.

3. A one-shot valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for limiting downward movement of said washer is an internal shoulder located so as to prevent the force of pressure fluid on the washer during filling from moving said valve member enough to rupture said diaphragm.-

4. A one-shot valve assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said pressure fluid conducting means (i) comprises passageway means through the valve member to the hollow stem providing free communication between the valve housing and the valve stem after diaphragm rupture.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,991 2/ 1954 Boyer 22282 2,829,801 4/1958 Ayres 22282 3,158,298 11/1964 Briechle 222402.16 3,214,063 10/1965 Wallis 22282 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. F. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 22283, 402.16 

